Does anyone know what make and model Leonard plays? From the earlier tours it looks like he's using a classical-style nylon string acoustic/electric. Does he still? Anyone know the actual make and model?

I remember reading in some liner notes from one of his CD's saying that he had a Spanish guitar which he smashed in a fit of useless fury. There was one song he liked to use it for. Stranger Song, perhaps.

~ The smell of perfume in the air, bits of beauty everywhere ~ Leonard Cohen.

In the early years (70 to 74) Leonard was playing a spanish flamenco Conde guitar (he told us in the chat). In the 1976 and 1979/80, he was playing an Ovation (classical) model. In the 1985 and 1988 tour he played the Gibson Chet Atkins model, and in 1993 a Godin (always nylon strings) model. In some tv shows we maybe saw him with a folk model guitar, but I don't think he used it many times. In the records his sound was always nylon.
I posted a topic to ask if someone knew how he could have this special song in the studio version od dress rehearsal rag, but no one answered yet.
Bye
Patyou

When he was a young man and learning to play guitar, he discovered that nylon strings didn't hurt half as much as metal strings, hence his choice of nylon strings for so many years. He always liked nylons STRINGS !!

"Bipolar is a roller-coaster ride without a seat belt. One day you're flying with the fireworks; for the next month you're being scraped off the trolley" I said that.

In the early years (70 to 74) Leonard was playing a spanish flamenco Conde guitar (he told us in the chat). In the 1976 and 1979/80, he was playing an Ovation (classical) model. In the 1985 and 1988 tour he played the Gibson Chet Atkins model, and in 1993 a Godin (always nylon strings) model. In some tv shows we maybe saw him with a folk model guitar, but I don't think he used it many times. In the records his sound was always nylon.

Hi everybody

Looking at the IOW dvd I saw that Leonard used (as we knew) a flamenco spanish guitar. But I was surprised to see that it was different than the one used in the 1972 and 1974 tours (that seems to be a Conde Hermanos model). Does anyone know what model did Leonard use on the sixties (it is already on the Newport pictures with Judy Collins or Joni Mitchell and later during the 1970 tour).

Maybe this question doesn't seem so important and is anyway too much specific for most of his fans, but I confess I am really passioned by the materiel questions (mainly guitars). Sorry if this topic has already been discussed. Apologizes from a guitar maniac. I met Leonard 3 times in my life and ddespite of all my courage I have been each time so terrified that I forgot to ask this question directly to him.

He uses a Godin guitar quite often, manufactured in Canada,(Montreal in fact) a beautiful semi acoustic guitar, my husband has one, although not the same model. He used the Godin in Dublin last year. There is a little bit about Leonard on the Godin website.http://www.godinguitars.com/godinplayersnews.htm

"I needed so much, to have nothing to touch - I've always been greedy that way"

This is maybe a guitar maniac's idea, but I finally found out the guitars most often used by our man from the sixties to the last tours :

From 1967 (See the pictures from Newport) to 1970 tours (included IOW) : a Ramirez flamenca guitar (this one was the most difficult to identify because nothing looks more like a flamenca guitar as another flamenca guitar)

In the 1972 and 1974 tours (see the pictures in the Concert Pictures section) : a Conde Hermanos flamenca guitar

In the 1976 and 1979 tours : an Ovation Classic model (the recent models are easier to find out because each brand is now very recognizable and there are more pictures on stage)

In 1985 and 1988 : the Chet Atkins Gibson model

In 1993 until the last tours : the Multiac ACS Godin

I am quite sure the guitars used for studio albums are corresponding to the ones used in tours.

Sorry if this information is boring, but I think this could be helpful for the site's guitars players